


Element of Surprise

by Lehuitt



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is the avatar from the air temple, Avatar the Last Airbender AU, Bisexual Lance, Boys In Love, Coran is her caregiver and nonbender, Fluff, Fluff & Angst, Food goo fight, Hunk is an Earth/Metal bender, Jealousy, Keith is a firebender, Lance doesn't know Keith's a prince, Lance is a waterbender, M/M, Mutual Pining, PINING KEITH, Pidge is a water(mud)bender from the foggy swamp, Shiro and Keith are fire nation princes and brothers, Shiro is a fire/lightningbender, oblivious lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-08-24 07:40:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8363548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lehuitt/pseuds/Lehuitt
Summary: Lance is a water bender living in the Earth Kingdom with his best friends, Hunk and Pidge. The Avatar, Allura and the Fire Nation Princes, Shiro and Keith, are scheduled to visit the Earth Kingdom for a diplomatic meeting and a ball. Lance is absolutely awestruck and vibrating with chance to meet them. However, when he meets Prince Keith he doesn't know who he is and things don't exactly go the way he imagined.





	1. Authority Issues

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for the comparisons between Voltron and ATLA. Shiro, Allura, and Coran won't show up until later in the story. This is my first Klance fic, but I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave a comment.

Lance jumped up and down, his hands wringing together. “This is going to be amazing.” His smile was wide, taking over most of his face. His blue Water Tribe clothes contrasted with the Green and Tan all around him.“I can’t believe that the Avatar is coming here.”

Hunk rolled his eyes as he and Pidge followed Lance through an Earth Kingdom Marketplace. The people around them talked loudly, bargaining for lower prices and gossiping amongst themselves. “So you’ve said.” 

Pidge put a hand on her head dramatically, leaning into Hunk, her glasses sliding down her nose slightly. “Oh Allura is so pretty! Her hair is like snow! Her eyes are shine like diamonds!” Hunk laughed and Lance glared back at them. 

“She’s the Avatar!” He protested and lifted his chin defiantly. Physical beauty means so little to me. I can about deeper things.”

Pidge snorted. “So what about the Princes from the Fire Nation?”

“Prince Shiro has metal arm and can bend lightning!” Lance shouted. “That’s amazing!” 

Hunk shrugged and looked down at Pidge. “To be fair he is even more obsessed with Shiro’s brother and he doesn’t even know what he looks like.” Rolling her eyes Pidge waved a dismissive hand. 

“Okay, that’s not fair. Everyone is obsessed with Prince Keith.” Lance stumbled over a loose stone as the path as he spun around to address his friends, forcing them to a stop on the busy street. “He’s a mystery! I mean no one ever sees him. He’s the perfect mysterious bad boy.” Lance looked off dreamily. “But if he looks anything like the rest of his family, I’ll bet he’s hot.” Pidge and Hunk groan in unison. “And once I meet him, He won’t be able to resist the Lance charm.” He wiggled his eyebrows at his friend’s unimpressed expressions. 

Suddenly a cabbage flies through the air, slamming Lance directly in the back of the head. Hunk, being the best friend he is, at least had the decency to try to stifle a chuckle, while Pidge might have pulled something from her roaring laughter. 

Lance spun around, trying to find the source, only to see a dark haired boy in red Fire Nation clothing and a black cloth obscuring half his face charging towards him. A man with a broken cart, spilling with cabbages was screaming after him. Guards spilled out of the crowd shouting for the boy to stop. When one got to close, he spun around and kicked out a him, a burst of flames shooting towards them, sending the guard backwards. 

“Do you think he needs help?” Lance mused almost to himself as he took a step towards the chaos. 

Hunk grabbed Lance’s arm. “Dude, looks like he can handle himself.”

Pidge pushed her glasses up, a disinterested look on her face. “Plus he seems to be the criminal.” 

The Firebender took off again, heading in Lance’s direction. Lance felt transfixed, his eyes drinking in every move and turn the other boy made. The Firebender was finally barely a foot in front of Lance. He slid to a stop and their eyes met. Lance stared into the violet and his breath caught. The Firebender blinked and glanced back at the guards still racing after him. With one more brief look towards Lance, he turned on his heel and darted down an alley. 

Lance stepped forward without really thinking about it. He could just barely register Hunk groan behind him. The Guards closed in and Lance raised his arms, pulling water from large barrels next to a stand. He pulled it to create a wall of water, flying up on command. The force of the water pushed the guards back and Lance smirked. Two guards made their way around the wave. Hunk stomped, his hands balled into fists. The cobblestone beneath one of the guards shot up, sending him flying. Pidge whipped her hands up, moving mud to slam into the other guard. She frowned in concentration. Being from the Foggy Swamp Tribe, she seemed to have a hand in the elements of both her best friends. 

Lance laughed brightly as he moved his hands smoothly to manipulate the water, sending it to swipe the feet out from under one of the guards. He dropped to one knee as a metal wire, from one of the guards, wrapped around his leg and pulled. He winced. 

Hunk stepped forward, as he moved his body, the metal cord followed his will, unraveling from Lance’s leg and pulling the guard down from where he was perched on a roof. He looked at Lance, almost pouting. “This could have been avoided.”

Lance shrugged. “Where’s the fun in that?” 

“The fun is in not getting arrested or killed!” Hunk yelled as he sent a boulder hurtling to more approaching guards. 

Pidge knocked another in the stomach with mud, causing them to bend over. When they’re head was at the same level as her’s, she swung, her fist colliding with his jaw and causing him to crumble in on himself. She shrugged. “Being arrested isn’t as bad as they make it seem.” 

Lance and Hunk glanced at her with wide eyes, but she paid them no mind as she cut down enemy after enemy. Lance lost his footing, a guard knocking him backwards slightly. He pushed back, swirling water in the air preparing for his next attack. “We can’t hold them off for long.” Hunk yelled as he tried to build a barrier in front of them.

“Hunk’s right.” Pidge said, her voice strained. 

Lance shrugged, a smirk falling onto his face. “How fast can you guys run?”

Hunk and Pidge groaned in unison. Suddenly, a knife whizzed by Lance’s ear, embedding itself in the shoulder of a guard that was barely a foot away from Lance. He hadn’t seen him, wasn’t prepared for him. He felt himself loosing energy. Another knife flew past, landing directly on it’s mark as before. Lance looked over his shoulder briefly to see the Firebender poised carefully on the side of the roof. 

He flipped down, falling gracefully to his feet and ran towards the group. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Lance and conjured fire, shooting it at their attackers. Lance could feel the heat radiating off of him. 

“When I say run. You run.” The Fire Bender's voice was rough and clipped, but Lance nodded nonetheless. Suddenly, he jumped up and kicked, his body moving expertly, shooting out a wall of fire, sending the guards scattering back. “RUN!”

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge wasted no time. They raced through the marketplace, dodging in and out of the crowd. After a moment, Lance glanced back to find the Firebender just behind them, weaving more gracefully than Hunk and Pidge who had already barreled into two people and one cart. 

Once out of town they made their way into the woods, running through the trees until the voices and bustle of the market was far behind them. Hunk dropped to the ground with a groan, sending a glare towards Lance who looked far more exhilarated than he should have in the moment. Pidge had her hands on her knees, glasses slowly sliding down her nose as she panted. Lance stood up straight and looked at the Firebender who was tense, staring cautiously in the direction that they came. His black handkerchief had fallen from his face and Lance was suddenly struck by how attractive he was. 

“Who are you?” Pigde’s voice broke the silence. Her tone was merily curious. 

The Firebender whipped around, his violet eyes wide. A second later, he seemed to come back to himself and turned to glare at Lance. “Are you an idiot?” 

Lance stepped back, a hand touching his chest in offense. “Excuse you?” He pointed at him. “This idiot just saved your ass, Mullet Man!”

The boy rolled his eyes. “I didn’t need your help. Nor did I ask for it.” He turned and stomped away, but Lance followed after angrily. 

“Hey who the hell do you think you are?” He shouted. “You could say thank, you ungrateful-”

Pidge looked up at the sky as if silently praying. “This is going to be fun.” She said sarcastically. Hunk nodded solemnly from where he still sat on the ground and watched as one of his best friend’s stomped after a dangerous, firebending stranger.


	2. A Plan in the Making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has decided that he was tagging along with Keith to the castle. While Lance still has no idea who Keith is, this doesn't stop him from going along with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy it!

“You're not coming with me.” Keith said, growing more annoyed. The Waterbender, Lance, had introduced himself in an aggravating way. He had smirked, held his hand out and practically purred, “The name’s Lance.” and then decided he was going to stick pretty closely to Keith, much to his dismay. He very deeply regretted letting him know where he was heading. It was one of the worst mistakes he had made to date and he had made a lot. 

“Dude, I need in the castle!” Lance’s voice went a few octaves higher than it was a moment ago and it was grating on Keith’s nerves. The only comfort was that Lance’s friends seemed as annoyed at him as Keith was. The big one, Hunk, had his hand over his face for nearly a minute now and before that, was periodically sending him looks that bordered between cautious and apologetic. The tiny, dirty one, Keith think’s name sounded like some kind of bird, was sitting on the ground, leaning against a bag that was too big for her and drawing, what looked like maps, in the mud. She didn’t look up very often and the only time she spoke it was in the form of questions or insults. Keith kinda liked her if her was being honest. 

Keith glared at Lance, who had now resorted to pouting, his hands clasped in front of him, lip sticking out, and eyes round and pleading. If Keith was a weaker man, he would have caved at that very moment. “Fine. I’ll get you in, but from there you’re on your own.” Turns out Keith was as weak as they come. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. 

Lance’s smile bloomed and Keith had to look away. “You won’t regret this!”

“I have a feeling I will actually.” Pidge nodded in agreement from where she sat. 

“Alright, so how are we going to do this? Fly in on an airship and lower ourselves onto the roof? Fight off guards and steal their uniforms?” Lance’s hands were moving more than should be necessary and the faces he was making made Keith concerned for his health. 

Keith stared at him, his mouth hanging open slightly. “What is wrong with you?”

Lance looked offended, but Pidge and Hunk wheezed with laughter behind him. “How much time do you have?” Pidge asked after she caught her breath, her mouth curling up in a cat like grin. 

Keith held back a chuckle, schooling his features. “I don’t have time for any of this.” He crossed his arms over his chest. 

“So then what’s the plan?” Hunk asked. Lance seemed to be pouting angrily at the group. 

Keith shrugged. “We get a change of clothes and walk right in the front door.” He turned on his heel and walked off through the trees. He could hear the group, getting up, and scrambling after him. 

“Wait! That’s it?” Lance asked.

\----------

They were sneaking through city streets now. Keith had pulled up his black handkerchief to cover his face again so no one would recognize him, but he could see Lance give him a sad look when he did it. People bustled around, getting ready for the ball that was being thrown in honor of the Avatar and paid no attention to the four boys sneaking around. Keith could feel Lance close behind him, followed by Hunk and Pidge. 

They rounded a curve, slipping into an alleyway. The barrel’s around them were filled with trash and leftover food and he could hear Hunk cough slightly to keep from gagging. Lance stepped closer Keith and whispered. “So, why are you going to the castle anyways?” Keith felt himself stiffen and the back of his neck heat up. 

He turned his head and glared, his voice muffled slightly by the cloth. Lance looked nervous for a moment, before it passed. “Why are you?” His voice was harsh, trying to deflect the conversation, but also curious in his own right. 

A laugh bubbled up out of Lance and Keith felt his stomach tighten, but he blamed it on the smell of trash around them, making him feel sick. “The Avatar is coming? I’m going to meet her and the Fire Princes.” He smirked. “Lay on the Lance charm. Maybe get Prince Keith alone and-”

Keith choked and coughed interrupting Lance’s sentence. “Prince Keith?” He asked, his voice rough and weak, but not only from the coughing. He could feel his face heat up and was suddenly thankful that the black cloth covered it. 

“Yeah?” Lance answered. 

Hunk chose that moment to pipe up. “Lance is in love with him.”

“Even though he’s never even seen what he looks like.” Pidge said, rolling her eyes. 

Keith’s eyes widened and Lance took a breath. “I’m not in love with him.” He paused as if thinking over his next words and Keith held his breath. “I’m just intrigued.”

“Infatuated.” Pidge said. 

Lance groaned. “Curious.” He said through clenched teeth. 

Hunk grinned. “Crushing on.” 

Keith’s head spun slightly, trying to wrap his head around the idea that anyone could ever like him, especially someone like Lance. Keith was far from the family’s favorite, that was Shiro. Shiro was everyone’s favorite and that was fine, Keith understood that. So he kept himself out of the spot light. He had his fair share of fuck ups, but aside from the rumours no one really paid him any attention and he liked that. But he was quiet and Shiro always told him he was grumpy, though he was just teasing. He had a hard time grasping the idea that someone like Lance, someone bright and happy and beautiful could be interested in him. That’s when it hit him. Lance wasn’t interested in him. Just like everyone else, Lance was interested in the mystery, in the rumors. Keith felt his shoulders sag slightly. Lance was looking at him curiously and he had to fight off the pain in his stomach. Keith, the real Keith, was standing right infront of him and from all the signs, Lance seemed to hate him. He was just using him to get to a person that never even existed. 

Keith frowned. “We should go. We’re running out of time.”

They made their way to a small shop on the end of one of the streets and went around the back so no one would see them. The whole time, Keith was aware of how close Lance was behind, feeling the energy coming off of him and wanting to step back into it, to somehow feed off of it. 

The shop wasn’t very busy and the back seemed more run down than most. He knocked on the rickety door. It swung open and Rolo stood there, smiling down at Keith. “Well if isn’t my old flame.” Keith rolled his eyes and stepped past him into the shop, pulling down the cloth covering his face. The shop wasn’t too big, but it was filled to the brim with items from all over the world, colors of all of the nations popping out against each other. Keith had it on good authority that most of it was stolen. 

The group followed in behind him and he watched as Rolo sized them up, his eyes lingering a little longer on Lance than he was comfortable with. Rolo’s eyes found Keith’s again. “It’s always nice to see some friendly faces.” He stepped closer to Keith, but Keith was looking at Lance now, who seemed angrier than he had before. Hunk also didn’t seem too thrilled. Pidge was the only one who seemed to enjoy the shop, her fingers already picking through displays of gadgets. 

“We need some help.” Keith said. 

“You’re wish is our command.” Rolo smirked. 

Lance crossed his arms. “We need clothes.” He voice was harsh, a tone that surprised Keith. 

Rolo seemed taken aback  as he looked at Lance and then looked back at Keith, his smirk growing. “Nyma can help you with that.” He tilted his head and yelled up a set of stairs. “Nyma! We have guests.” 

Nyma came down the stairs, he blonde pigtails bouncing and her stomach exposed. She smiled sweetly at Lance, who seemed to deflate. Something stirred in the pit of Keith’s stomach as Lance stepped up to her. He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Hi, the name’s Lance.” She giggled lightly and Keith felt his insides burn. 

Rolo leaned closer to him, so Keith was the only one who could hear. “Let’s get you dressed for a ball, your highness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I brought in Rolo and Nyma! Yes, Keith and Rolo had a thing, but it's completely over... At least for Keith it seems. I actually really like these two even though it kinda gets in the way of Klance. I hope you enjoyed it and there will be more to come, hopefully soon!


	3. An Expected Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group get dressed up to go to the castle, but they have some unexpected visitors. Also Lance gets a little distracted at how pretty Keith is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile I know, but I've had a lot going on. I'm really glad you guys were enjoying it and I hope you keep reading. Enjoy!

The clothes Rolo and Nyma provided them were nice, better than nice even. They were clothes of royalty. It made Lance a little suspicious about how Rolo had acquired them and if sweet Nyma knew anything about it. He shrugged off the thought and looked at himself in the mirror. 

His outfit was a nice blue that reminded him of home. His heart pulled slightly at the thought of his family, but he smiled regardless. His shoulders were exposed in his vest and cuffs wrapped around his biceps, emphasizing muscle he doesn’t fully remember being there. Though his family was never in a high enough status to wear clothes like this, it felt like home all the same. The color brought out his eyes and contrasted nicely with his tanned skin. 

Hunk’s clothes were a nice pale green with gold embroidered along the sides. It complimented the headband he always had tied around his head. While he looked pleased about the fine clothes, his eyes still shifted over to Nyma and Rolo, who were talking amongst themselves off to the side. 

 

Pidge wore a dark green outfit, making her eyes look an even lighter amber. The clothes were originally intended for a boy, but Pidge was comfortable in what Pidge was comfortable in. She was now fondly hovering over one of Rolo and Nyma’s gadgets, Beezer, with a obsessed look in her eyes. 

Lance huffed and turned around. This, firebending, boy was still in the back room getting ready. Lance took in a breath to yell for him, when he was suddenly struck with a thought. He had no idea what his name was. He stared out for a moment, his mouth opening and closing. 

Hunk turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “You good, buddy?”

Lance shook his head, squinting. “What’s this guy’s name?”

Hunk furrowed his brow and look over at the pair still talking in the corner. “Rolo?” 

Lance shook his head and laid a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “No. No, the firebender.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. 

“I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Lance threw his hands up in the air. “We don’t even know this guy’s name?”

Hunk shot him an incredulous look. “I’m sorry, when were we supposed to ask? When we were saving him from the actual police? How about when you decided you wanted to sneak into the castle with him? No! When you both were making flirty eyes at each other.” He leaned over, his jaw clenched. “Or we should have asked when he dragged us into a store owned by two criminals!” He said the last part in a tense whisper. 

“We were not making flirty eyes at each other!” Lance almost shouted, causing Rolo to look up for a second. 

“That’s really what you focus on?” Hunk asked. 

Lance shrugged and kicked his foot. “Well we weren’t.” Hunk rolled his eyes. 

It was that moment that the firebender himself chose to walk down the small set of stairs at the back of the store. He looked good, really good. Really really good. His dark bangs framed his face nicely and his eyes were a bright violet. His clothes seemed oddly nicer than the rest. It might have been the way they fit him, not just physically, though that was amazing too, but the way he seemed to know how to make the clothes look like they were for a Prince. His collar was high and Lance found himself missing the long exposed neck in his other outfit. But he still kept his mullet out instead of traditionally tying it back and there was something in that notion that made Lance smile. The clothes were a deep red that made his pale skin seem impossibly soft and everything in him wanted to reach out and touch it. 

Lance stared. He could feel his mouth hanging open and he swiped quickly at his mouth to get rid of the light line of drool he was sure was hanging there. Lance’s eyes met his and the firebender shifted on his feet suddenly unsure, at the bottom of the stairs. 

“Yeah, no eye flirting at all.” Hunk mumbled beside Lance, who punched him lightly in the arm. 

Rolo approached the firebender, pulling his attention away from Lance’s gaze. Rolo leaned in and whispered something in his ear and the boy rolled his eyes. Lance felt something burn in his stomach and an odd desire to rip Rolo’s head off. 

“I hate that guy.” Lance said. 

Hunk sighed. “At least someone else sees it. Even if it’s only because you’re jealous.” 

“I’m not jealous!” Hunk laughed at him. 

Lance watched as the firebender stepped away from Rolo and made his way towards them. He always looked so determined, his eyebrows pulled down in concentration. Everything that he looked at seemed to get his full attention and right now, Lance was locked in his sights. He finally stopped in front of the boys. 

“When we get to the Castle, follow my lead. If you get caught. I will leave you.” He sure was a charmer. 

Lance smirked. “Don’t worry. We’re professionals at in-cog-nito!” The firebender rolled his eyes, but a smile pulled softly at the corner of his mouth. 

Hunk shifted and looked at Lance expectantly. “Speaking of incognito.” He nudged his head in the firebender’s direction.

“Oh yeah!” Lance hesitated. “So… this is kinda weird, but what did you say your name was?”

The firebender seemed taken aback. “I didn’t.”

Lance laughed slightly. “Okay…” He waited for a moment, watching the boy, but he said nothing. “So… what is it?”

He hesitated, his violet eyes going slightly wider for a moment. He looked away from Lance. “Kogane.” His eyes looked sad when he said it. “Call me Kogane.”

Lance watched him. He watched the way his fingers flitted nervously and the way his eyes moved back and forth around the room as if assessing all possible threats. He had the eyes of a warrior and it made Lance a little sad. “Kogane it is.” 

“Whatever.” He said, now challenging in some way and Lance was never one to back down. “We leave soon. Be ready.”

Lance felt himself smile. “Oh I’m ready.”

A loud crash of the door being flung open came from the front of the store. Kogane’s head shot up and he looked back at Rolo and Nyma, who were smirking. Rolo laughed. “You should have known better, babe.”

Kogane glared. “Yeah, I should have.” He flipped around and kicked, a move he seemed fond of. Fire shot out and half of the store caught fire, creating a wall between them and the guards that were flooding the front of the store. He turned and pushed at Lance to move. “Run!”

Hunk grabbed the back of Pidge’s shirt, pulling her out, as they ran and Pidge made sad grabby hands towards Beezer. 

“I can’t believe Nyma would do this to me!” Lance shouted and then yelped as Hunk slapped him in the back of the head. 

“Criminals!” Hunk yelled.


	4. Party Crashers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk sneak into the party. Keith takes himself away from the group to find his brother, Shiro, who confronts him about his new crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super into Big Brother Shiro tbh and if anyone needs a big brother it's Keith.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

By the time they arrived at the Castle, party-goers were flooding the entrances, dressed in fine clothes from all four nations and finer jewelry. The sky had began to darken and stars were beginning to peek out, only out shined by the bright lights from the banquet. Keith used to think these parties were beautiful. They always had a certain magic to them, a certain hypnotic quality. The drinks and the dancing and the music used to enchant him. But he was only a boy then. He had long since realized that all they were were bureaucrats rubbing against each other, the mingling of the wealthy and the snobby. He realized that they were a showcase of how he had never been able to fully fit into his Princely skin. As he got older, it just reminded how he could never be like his family. He could never measure up to Shiro. 

If he had his choice, he wouldn’t be there at all. But he had promised Shiro he would check in, make an appearance. The Avatar would be there after all and that meant more to Shiro than he cared to share with Keith. But he couldn’t just walk through the front door. Too many people there had known him for years, too many people would recognize him and he’d never go anywhere without being seen, without being stopped. He’d lose the freedom he needed so desperately. 

They came around the back, Keith in front, hunching low to stay out of sight. He winced at every twig that snapped under the feet behind him, hoping none of the guards were close enough to hear them. They came to a stop, hiding low behind the bushes. 

“So how is this going to work?” Pidge asked. She pushed her glasses up her nose and eyes following the guards and work staff through the thin branches and leaves. 

Keith’s eyes scanned the area. “I’m going to take out the guards in front of the door. The wait staff shouldn’t be a problem. On my signal, you guys follow.” Keith went to move out from behind the bush, but a hand caught the back of his shirt, pulling him down again. 

“Whoa, whoa there Mullet Man.” Lance said, his hand still latched onto Keith’s clothes. 

Keith jerked away, his jaw clenching. “What?”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “So that’s your brilliant plan? To run in there and try to take them all out by yourself? Don’t you think that’s a little obvious to, I don’t know, the whole Castle?”

“You got a better idea, Waterboy?” Keith crossed his arms. 

“Yeah actually. I do.” Lance said. He pointed a finger to another door off to the side of the building. There was one guard standing there, his arms crossed over his bulking frame. “We just have to take out one.” 

Keith mulled it over for a moment, analyzing the plan, trying to find a hole in it that was at least bigger than the one in his. But he couldn’t find one. “Alright, fine. I guess it isn’t horrible.”

“Whatever! You totally know it’s a better idea!” Lance smiled and Keith couldn’t look away. 

“I could have taken them all. It would have worked.” Keith tried to protest and Lance’s expression fell into something softer.

“I’m sure you could have.” 

Keith frowned, his chest feeling tight at Lance’s words. He tried to push down the knot tying itself in his stomach and he looked away. “Let’s go.” 

Taking out the guard was easier than Keith expected. He was a big guy, but he wasn’t a bender and against four benders, he didn’t stand a chance. They tried to stay quiet as they slipped through the door. Keith had to admit, they weren’t bad fighters and they were extremely talented benders. But Lance fascinated him the most. He was crafty and determined. He moved with a graceful fluidity that Keith didn’t think he was even capable of. He was enthralling. 

He heard a loud crash behind him. He turned to see Lance, hands up in the air in surrender and a waiter staring at him angrily over a pile of shattered champagne glasses. Despite the situation, Keith almost laughed. 

“Uh, we were looking for the bathroom?” Lance shrugged apologetically. 

“Well, it’s not back here.” He pushed open a door behind him. It opened up to the party, music and voices floated through. The waiter pointed to a sign on the other side of the door that read “Employees only”. He glared angrily. “Can’t you read?”

“Sorry about that.” Lance looked sheepish as they made their way through the door. “Didn’t have to be rude about it.” 

When they stepped into the ballroom, they all stopped. Keith watched them stare around them in awe. He could see the lights reflecting in their wide eyes and he let himself smile a moment, before walking away. This seemed to pull Lance out of his hypnosis. “Hey! Wait.” He jogged to catch up with Keith. He nudged him in the arm and Keith soaked in the feeling of there arms pressing together, if only for a moment. “Where are you going?”

Keith stopped and glanced back at Hunk and Pidge. Hunk was picking the food off of a tray with a loving eye, while Pidge was dumping a whole tray of rolls into her bookbag. Keith shook his head and looked back at the boy in front of him. He tried to even out his breathing. Lance was looking at him expectantly, hope sparkling in his dark blue eyes. Keith shrugged. “I got you into the party. That’s what you wanted right?”

“Well, yeah. But-”

“I got you in. I hope you have fun.” Keith pointed behind him. “I gotta find my brother. He’s expecting me.” Keith’s chest hurt as frowned. “Plus you have a Prince to find right?”

Lance seemed taken aback for a moment. “Uh, yeah. I guess.” 

Keith took a step back, trying to put some distance between him and the waterbender. “Have fun, Lance.”

Lance looked sad before smiling slightly. “Save me a dance later?” He winked before sauntering off towards his friends. He gave one last look over his shoulder at Keith’s stunned expression. 

“Yeah, okay.” Keith whispered after he was already out of earshot. He shook his head and turned to walk off in the other direction, willing himself not to look back. 

He made his way up the grand staircase, to the private rooms. The Avatar and Prince Shiro weren’t scheduled to make an appearance until later. The halls were large and lavishly decorated with Earth Kingdom treasures, art, and artifacts. There were two guards in front of the door, who only nodded as he passed through, each of them muttering, “Prince Keith” as a greeting. 

He stepped through to see his brother Shiro standing in front of the mirror, fiddling with his clothes. “You look fine.” Keith said as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

Shiro turned to face him, smiling. Keith couldn’t help, but smile back. “You really think so?” He seemed nervous and the light reflected off of his metal hand as he moved. 

Keith nodded. “I’m sure Allura will think so too.” 

Shiro looked up, surprised. “Why would I care-” He stopped, fumbling for words. “Why do you think-”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not blind, Shiro. Anyone with eyes could see you have a thing for the Avatar and that she has a thing for you.”

“I do not have a thing-” He cut himself off and suddenly looked hopeful. “You think she has a thing for me?” 

Keith groaned and fell onto the couch in front of Shiro. “Just ask her out already! It’s not that big of a deal.”

Shiro shook his head. “No, it is. You’ll understand when you feel like this for someone.” He smiled softly. 

Keith felt himself freeze, his whole body going rigid and for a split second Lance’s smiling face flashed through his mind and knew a smile was creeping onto his face.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t school his features before Shiro noticed. His eyes zeroed in on him, a smirk pulling at his mouth. Keith sat up. “Who is it?”

Keith stood up and shook his head. “Who is who?” 

Shiro looked unimpressed. “The guy. Who is the guy that you met?”

“What guy? I didn’t meet a guy.” Keith crossed his arms over his chest. He could feel Shiro getting closer to the answer he was looking for. 

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest to match, as if challenging him, and Keith felt himself beginning to cave. “What’s his name?”

Keith scuffed the floor lightly with his shoe. “Lance.” He said quietly. “He’s a waterbender.”

Shiro smiled brightly. “Does he know? Is he here?” 

Keith shook his head. “It’s not a big deal. No, he doesn’t know and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Shiro was quiet for a moment. “He’s here isn’t he?”

Keith frowned, casting his eyes down. “I may have snuck him and his friends in.”

A sharp laugh bubbled up out of his brother. “I’m sorry.” He covered his mouth. “I just can’t believe you made friends.”

“I didn’t make friends. I don’t even like them.” Shiro didn’t look convinced. Keith shook his head. “They’re annoying and weird. I think Pidge is a hoarder and Hunk thinks it’s funny when Lance laughs hard enough to blow water out of his nose.” He shrugged. “Okay maybe it was funny once. But Lance is an ass. He never shuts up and he’s so competitive, doesn’t stop pushing all of my buttons.” Keith pointed at Shiro. “And he flirts with everything that moves. He never stops smiling. I don’t think he even knows how good of a waterbender he is. Wasted potential, honestly.” Keith takes a breath. “It’s not like I like him or anything.”

Shiro kept smiling and stared at Keith, shaking his head. His laughter made his shoulders vibrate slightly. “Oh, you’ve got it bad.” 

Keith groaned and puts his face in his hands, but couldn’t bring himself to argue.


	5. Lance is Oblivious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance, the poor boy, is extremely oblivious. Pidge decides to finally clue Lance in on a little secret, who Kogane really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise??? I got bored and decided to write more and before I knew it, I had another chapter. 
> 
> I really like this fic and thank you to everyone feels the same!!

Lance felt a little dizzy, not in a bad way. But there were lights, music, pretty girls, pretty boys, and the soft aroma of baked good wafting around him. The party was everything he dreamed. It was extravagant, enchanting. Everything was perfect. A very nice looking Fire Nation girl was even making eyes at him from across the dance floor. Things were great! 

At least they should have been. 

Lance should have been having the time of his life. But every time he looked up, he searched for a mullet and intense, violet eyes in the crowd. The place was big, too big almost. It was easy to lose track of someone. He didn’t even know where Pidge and Hunk were, but he was beginning to regret ever taking his eyes off the firebender. He wasn’t fully sure why he was so caught up with the boy. He had had crushes before, big and small, on numerous people, but with Kogane it was different. He liked pushing him, liked the way he frowned and groaned, but his smile was something else. Something Lance thought he was starting to get addicted to. But the worst part was he didn’t even think the guy liked him. In fact, he’s pretty sure he hated his guts. 

He caught sight of Hunk, who was leaning on a buffet table talking to a girl serving a gooey green food with a ladle. She was smiling at him and Lance watched them. Hunk looked happy. Lance smiled before turning around, not wanting to interrupt their moment. 

He ran directly into Pidge. “Hey, watch it!” She looked angry as she turned around, her expression instantly softening when she saw Lance. “Oh, hey Lance.” She was zipping up her bag and before it closed, Lance could see napkins and fancy foods shoved inside. 

“Get anything good?” Lance asked as he leaned over to try and get a better look as it shut. 

“Oh yeah, pigs in a blanket, some eclairs, a few peanut butter cookies, and those little sausage things.” Lance nodded as she listed her finds. She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. “What’s up with you?”

Lance shrugged. “Nothing.”

Pidge squinted harder and Lance began to wonder if her glasses were still working. “Whatever. Where’s Keith?”

Lance looked around. “I don’t know. I haven’t even figured out what the guy looks like. How am I even supposed to find him?” Pidge’s eyebrows slowly raised as he spoke. “Maybe it wasn’t really worth it.”

“You’re joking right?”

“No?” Lance felt a little tired and wasn’t really in the mood to have a conversation about the boy he would never get a chance to meet. 

“You’re an idiot.” Pidge observed and tossed her book bag on one shoulder. “You know this is kind of like the time you didn’t know I was a girl.”

Lance threw his hands up in the air. “That happened ages ago! Let it go!” 

The unimpressed look Pidge gave him was scathing. “It went on for six months.” 

“You never corrected me when I used he/him pronouns! How was I supposed to know?” 

Pidge shrugged. “Gender doesn’t matter Lance. What would I care if someone thinks I’m a boy?” A smile was curling at the end of her lips. 

“Then why won’t you let me live it down?” Lance’s voice rose slightly and a couple heads around them swiveled to look at them. 

Pidge smiled wider. “Because it’s fun.” She shook her head. “But back to the subject at hand. Kogane.”

Lance’s chest tighten slightly and his face felt warm. “What does he have to do with this? We were talking about Prince Keith.”

Pidge nodded slowly. “Yes.” She paused for a moment waiting for some kind of reaction and then she sighed through her nose. “Kogane is Keith.” 

Lance stopped for a moment. “What?” He felt a laugh bubble out of himself. “No, no he isn’t. You’ve been reading too many conspiracy scrolls.” 

Pidge rolled her eyes and glared at him. She lifted her hands up. “Let me break this down for you.” She lifted one her hands higher. “Keith is a firebender.” Lance nodded and she lifted the other hand. “Kogane is a firebender.”

"That doesn’t mean anything. There a loads of firebenders.”

"I’m not done, dimwit.” Lance put an offended hand to his chest as she continued. “Prince Keith has, let's call them authority issues. So does Kogane. Kogane just had to be at the Castle tonight to meet his brother. He comes into town the same day that the Prince does. He doesn’t tell us his name until you asked. Kogane is Keith.”

Lance shook his head. “This is crazy. I’m going to talk to Hunk. He’ll set you straight.” He went to walk away. 

“Leave Hunk out of this, he’s talking to that Shay chick. Plus he agrees with me.” Lance froze and turned back around. She shrugs. “We thought you saw it too.”

“That’s all just coincidental.” Lance shook his head. He felt his mind whirling, trying to wrap around the information. 

“There’s more actually.” 

“More?” Lance rubs a hand over his face. “What is it?”

“You remember when you had me pull up information on the Princes to see when they were coming to the Earth Kingdom?” Lance nodded. “Well, when I was doing that I did a little more digging. Everyone knows that Prince Keith was adopted when he was a baby because he was an orphan. But no one says anything because the Fire Lord made it clear that no matter what he was his son?” 

Lance nods again and waves his hand. “Get on with it, Pidge.”

She huffed. “I found out what Keith’s birth name was. His last name.”

“And?” Pidge rolled her eyes at Lance’s impatience, or his obliviousness, or both.

“His last name was Kogane.”

Lance stopped. His whole body froze. He tried to put together the puzzle that Pidge had laid out before him. “So you’re telling me, Kogane is Keith?” Pidge nods slowly. “And Keith is Kogane?”

"Yes.”

“They’re the same person?”

“Mm-hm.”

Lance’s eyes widen slightly. “Oh my god. We talked about my crush on Prince Keith in front of him!” Pidge smiled a little at his outburst. “You knew! Oh god, he knows! He knows I have a crush on him…” 

“Actually he knows you’re obsessed with the idea of Prince Keith. He probably has no idea you developed a crush on Kogane too.”

Lance felt the blood rush out of his face. “I did not.”

“Yes, you did.”

Lance groaned. “Yes, I did.” 

In that moment, trumpets began to play and guards appeared at the top of the grand staircase. All eyes turned up to see it, the music and the dancing coming to a halt. Avatar Allura stepped out. Her hair was white and fell down to her waist in curls. Her blue arrows stood out beautifully against her dark skin. The dress she was wearing was pink and blue and it sparkled and shined when she moved. Just behind her was her guardian Coran. His hair was a bright orange, but was outshined by the smile on his face. 

The Fire Prince, Shiro stepped out afterwards. He was broad and beautiful. He nodded his head politely to the crowd before taking Allura’s arm and leading her down the stairs. Shiro glanced backwards for a second and Lance followed his gaze. At the very top of the stairs, just outside of the entrance to the ballroom, Keith stood. He was just in the shadows, watching Shiro and Allura with fond eyes. 

Lance couldn’t look away. He felt like it was private, like he’s the only one could see him and maybe he was. Suddenly, Keith’s eyes shifted and met his. The whole world seemed to stop. The sound of the party was drowned out by the loud beating of Lance’s heart. Keith didn’t look away. Lance stepped forward, making his way to the stairs, Keith watching him with every move.


	6. I'll Follow You Into the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is afraid of his feelings for Lance and he runs. Lance is having none of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided there will be only one more chapter after this. Thank you to everyone who has followed along for this long. It means the world to mean that you guys are enjoying it. Be sure to check out some of my other fics and keep a look out for ones in the future!

Keith had disappeared into the shadows, backed away and tried with everything he had not to stay and wait for Lance to reach him. It was a cowardly move, he knows. He wasn’t one to usually run from something, but this was different. This was emotions and messy. This was Lance. Keith couldn’t quite handle the way his chest felt tight when his eyes had met the other boy’s. He couldn’t handle the way he felt stripped bare from a simple look, as if Lance could see right into, open and vulnerable. 

So he ran. He made his way through the castle, trying to focus on slowing the rapid thumping of his heart. The wide halls of the palace made him feel small, as if he was being swallowed up by the stone. He felt trapped, unable to breath, unable to think. He picked up the pace, his feet carrying him faster, pushing harder and harder with more urgency than before. He didn’t know where he was, the place was far too unfamiliar for him to find his way. 

He finally burst through a pair of doors and out onto a balcony. The rush of fresh air that swirled around him and into his lungs was a relief that took the panic right out of him. He slumped onto the railing, the cold of it seeping into his too hot skin. His breaths evened out and he slowly stood up straight, his arms braced on the stone in an effort to keep himself upright.. The balcony was on the side of the castle, far enough away from any entrance, making it feel private. Keith could just barely see the light of torches dancing against the dark of the night and hear the chatter of party guests around the other side. 

He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky and he stopped. The stars filled the dark, shining and bursting light years above him. Something about the sight loosened the tension inside of him. He breathed out slowly and let his shoulders fall slightly. Without Keith’s permission, he imagined what it would be like to be here with Lance, to feel the closeness of him, to see him smile, to hear his laugh. 

He shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts, but they kept coming. Flashes of tanned skin and dark blue eyes burned his thoughts. He didn’t want this, didn’t want to feel like this for a boy who hated him, a boy who was in the love with the idea of him instead of the person standing right in front of him. If Lance found out who he was, he’d probably hate Keith even more for ruining his ideal of the Prince. 

Keith wasn’t good at these kind of things. He had only really had flings, never anything serious. Shiro always wanted him to be better with his emotions, but he hated it. He hated feeling vulnerable, hated being at the mercy of someone else. He didn’t need that. He couldn’t need that. 

But there was something about Lance. Keith trusted him. A part of him wanted to tear himself open just to give himself to Lance, all of himself. It was terrifying and it made the tip of his fingers tingle, as if he was losing control of his bending, fire ready to shoot out without his permission. He hadn’t felt this out of control since puberty. They way he felt around Lance made him feel like he was going through puberty all over again, awkward and overwhelming.

“Kogane?” Lance’s unsure voice wavered through the room and onto the balcony. Keith froze. “I mean, Keith, I guess?” His voice wavered slightly and Keith couldn’t move, couldn’t turn around and go to Lance, couldn’t force his lips to move to call out to him. He just stood there and waited as Lance’s voice got closer. “Keith! Come on buddy!” He let out a nervous laugh. 

Keith didn’t want to see him, didn’t want to see the disappointment in Lance’s eyes, the soft rejection in his voice. Lance knew the truth now. He had figured it out and now there was no going back. He couldn’t take Lance treating him any different because he was a Prince. He hated the way people walked on eggshells around him, but he’s not sure if he could watch Lance become less of himself to somehow please Keith. 

“Keith!” Lance’s voice was becoming more and more impatient as he got closer. “Mullet head! I swear if you don’t show your pretty face in the next-” Lance stepped through the balcony doors and Keith turned to face him, his eyes wide at Lance’s words. “Oh.” He moved one hand to rub the back of his neck. “There you are.”

Lance stepped further onto the balcony, closer to Keith. He seemed nervous, his fingers tapping on his leg. Keith backed up until the railing was poking into his back, Lance following his as he moved, as if they were connected, unable to be more than two feet apart. The light from inside the castle poured out onto the balcony and backlit lance beautifully, pulling out gold tones in his brown hair. He looked like an angel in the halo of light and Keith couldn’t breath properly. 

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Lance’s eyes bore into him and then flicked away as if second guessing himself. “You still owe me a dance.” 

“Uh, sorry.” Keith’s voice caught in his throat. “I just… needed some air.” 

Lance’s laugh was soft. “Yeah, there’s a lot going on in there.” He paused and stepped closer to Keith. They were barely a foot away. Keith could could see the light freckles on Lance’s nose from the sun and the way his dark blue eyes twinkled in the low lighting. He licked his lips and Lance’s eyes flicked down for a fraction of a second to watch it, before moving back to meet Keith’s gaze. “So, you’re a prince huh?” 

Keith tensed, preparing himself for Lance’s apologizes, his groveling, his false worship that everyone gives him when they find out. Everyone thought being a Prince was the coolest thing. The last thing he wanted was another fan, another person to put him on a pedestal that he didn’t belong on. “Yeah.” The word came out harsher than he intended, but Lance didn’t even blink. 

“That must be hard.” He wasn’t mocking him. His voice was soft and filled with understanding. 

“Uh,” Keith’s eyes widened in surprise and he blinked a couple times. “Yeah, I guess.” 

Lance shrugged. “You don’t seem too fond of the spotlight and it must suck having to try to live up to your brother.” Keith nodded and let his head drop slightly, his gaze falling from Lance’s. 

Lance stepped even closer, lifting a steady hand to raise Keith’s chin. His hand was warm and solid. They were so close Keith would only have to lean forward slightly to brush their noses together. The proximity to Lance was intoxicating. Lance’s breath was warm on his face and he had to keep himself from letting his eyes flutter closed. 

“But…” Lance’s voice was barely a whisper. “You’ve always been my favorite Prince, Keith.” A smile pulled at the edge Lance’s mouth. They stood there for a moment, satisfied just being near each other. Suddenly unsure, Lance began to fidget and leaned back. He laughed nervously and cleared his throat. “So… How about that dance?” 

Keith tried to hold back his smile, but failed. “Yeah. I’d like that.” 

Lance’s face lit up brighter than Keith had ever seen. “Good. Great.” He shook his head, still smiling brightly. “Yeah, awesome.” He looked up at the sky for a moment and let out a small gasp. “Wow. I’d hate to pull you away from this. It’s beautiful.” 

Keith didn’t look away from Lance. He could swear he could see the stars reflecting in the deep blue of Lance’s eyes. He sighed. “Yeah, it is.” He took a breath, a soft smile still pulling at his lips. “But I think I’ll manage.” 

He slid his hand into Lance’s. The water bender's eyes moved to meet his in surprise, but he intertwined their fingers immediately and felt him squeeze gently. Keith pulled him towards the door, Lance letting himself be dragged. “Come on, let’s go have that dance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter! Oh god, it's almost over. The next chapter, I plan to have (atleast for now) their dance, their first kiss, and more of the voltron group, including Allura and Coran! Thanks for reading.


	7. A Dance, A Kiss, and A Plate of Goo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance finally get that dance and the group finally comes together in the only way they know how, fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have full permission to kick my ass. 
> 
> I am so sorry. It has taken me forever to update and I understand if you want to hit me, it's cool I get it. But it's here now! If it makes you feel any better this chapter is the size of about two of my standard chapters so!!  
> It was kinda hard for me to let go of this fic because I loved it so much, but I did it. 
> 
> This is the end. I really hope you guys enjoy it!

Keith’s hand was warm and solid in his. When they entered the ballroom again, Lance couldn't fight the goofy grin that had overtaken his entire face. He was over the moon, filling with happiness so light that he was a little afraid he would float away. 

He could see Keith’s soft smile, even though he tilted his head away to try and hide it. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

Keith began to fidget slightly, his eyes casting nervous glances around the room. They stopped toward the edge of the dance floor and Keith’s mouth turned down and his eyebrows were pulled together. 

Lance laughed. “You're so bad at being a Prince.” He teased and bumped his shoulder into Keith’s, trying to distract the him from the number of people around them and the nervousness that seemed to have settled into him. 

“I am not.” Keith seemed to frown harder, his voice filled with defiance and his bottom lip sticking out slightly in a pout. “I do just fine.” 

Lance laughed again, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, sure.” Suddenly there was a challenging look in Keith’s violet eyes and he smirked. Lance felt his stomach swoop slightly. Keith reached out faster than Lance could register and pulled him in by the waist. Lance let out a noise of surprise and his knees felt a little wobbly. They were pressed tightly together, warmth seeping through the layers of clothes. Their hands were still clasped and Lance slowly lifted his other hand to rest on Keith’s shoulder. 

They began to move smoothly, Keith leading, gently dragging Lance along. Some of the people in the room stopped to watch. From the way Keith moved, you could tell he was royalty, an undeniable smoothness in his movements, a mastering of the steps that made it seem like he knew the dance better than his own name, like he had studied it for years. But there was something under that, something so undeniably Keith. He moved with more instinct than grace, more power than fluidity. It commanded your attention. Part of Lance wanted to fight Keith for the lead, as if that power were a challenge, but the soft, focused look on Keith’s face made him stop.

They danced through more songs than Lance could count. A few times, a girl or boy would stop them and ask to step in. More people began to take notice of them and every second they pulled Keith’s attention away, Lance hated them a little more. But every time, Keith would shake his head, not looking away from Lance the whole time he was speaking and say, “I'm already dancing with the only person I ever want to.” 

If Lance was a weaker man, he would have swooned. 

Okay, Lance was so so weak when it came to Keith. He swooned. He swooned hard. He's pretty sure that the only thing keeping him upright was Keith. 

His heart was beating hard in chest and he could feel his hair sticking to his forehead from the effort of dancing. He felt a laugh bubble out of him, too exhilarated to fight the happiness from bursting out of him and into the air that seemed to shimmer with the lights and the glittering ballroom. 

Keith smiled, letting himself huff out a small laugh. His face was all soft and fond as he stared at Lance. 

Lance stopped, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of the other boy. He moved his hand that was clinging tightly to Keith’s shoulder, up his neck and into the soft overgrown hair at his neck. He pulled him forward, feeling dizzy on the way Keith’s gaze was shifting from his eyes to his mouth. Lance leaned forward, Keith mirroring his movements. Lance could feel Keith’s warm breath on his face and let his eyes fall until they were open just enough to see their noses brush together gently. He moved to close the distance, their lips touched just slightly. 

“Keith!” The boys sprang apart at the sound of Shiro’s voice. Keith’s forehead collided with Lance’s nose making the waterbender yelp and cover his face. 

“Ow.” Lance whimpered at the sting. He pulled his hand back to check for blood and sighed when his hand came back clean. 

Keith looked at him with a worried expression. “I’m sorry! I didn't mean- I just-” Keith let out a groan at his own stuttering, making Lance smile. “Are you okay?”

Lance waved his hand. “I'm good.” 

Shiro made his way over from where he had shouted and clapped his metal hand onto Keith’s shoulder making him wince slightly. From the flush on Keith’s cheeks, Lance had a feeling that it had less to do with the force behind the hand and more to do with the goofy grin Shiro was sporting as he looked at Lance. 

Lance was a little in awe and even more terrified of the man standing in front of him. Shiro was a living legend. The last Firelord was a tyrant. Shiro and Keith’s father, the current Fire Lord and a member of the previous royal family, was the leader of the rebellion against him. The war between the tyrant and his people lasted decades. Shiro and Keith were both born in wartime. Shiro’s parents chose to fight to protect him and their country. They lived through it, but not without their share of scars. Keith’s parents were not so lucky. Shiro’s father found Keith when he was 8 years old. He was on the street, stealing bread and water for other people from guards of the Firelord. When he came into power, as a result, Keith became a Prince. The dramatic backstory had always been whispered in amazement through the nations, everyone knew the tale. It was the boy himself that little was known about. Shiro, however, had always been open about his struggles, speaking to the public with a matter-of-fact attitude and dedicating himself to helping others who have suffered in similar ways. 

Shiro fought by his father from a young age. A couple years ago, Shiro had been captured, taken by the Fire Lord. They tortured him for days. They took his arm and left him in the desert with a scar along the bridge of his nose and his hair going white from the stress they put him through. Keith was the one who found him. A few months later, the tides turned and with the help of Allura, the Avatar, balance was restored. 

So yeah, Dude was a little intimidating. Not to mention, he was the older brother to the boy Lance had a very serious crush on. So yeah, scary. But his smile was warm and friendly. He removed his hand from Keith’s shoulder and held it out for Lance. “I’m Keith’s brother, Shiro.” 

Lance reached out to take it. He looked down at the metal hand and hesitated for a moment. His eyes moved back to Shiro’s face and reached the rest of the way to take it. The metal was surprisingly warm. 

“I know.” He nodded with a grin. “I’m Lance, pretty boy and waterbender extraordinaire.” Keith rolled his eyes, but a smile was curling at the edge of his mouth. 

Shiro watched Keith for a moment before turning back to Lance, a spark in his eyes. “So you’re the boy my baby brother is so taken with.” 

Lance could feel his face heating up, but it was nothing compared to the flaming red of Keith’s cheeks. He was glaring at his brother. “Shiro!”

Shiro shrugged, his eyes wide and innocent. “What it’s not every day my little brother has a crush.” He pinched Keith’s cheek who swatted his hand away. Lance couldn’t help but laugh. Shiro turned his eyes back to Lance, still teasing, but there was something more serious behind them. “You must be something special.”

Lance tried to swallow the dryness in his his throat. He looked at Keith, who was staring hard enough a the tiled floor to burn a hole in it. He must have felt Lance’s gaze, because he looked up, his eyebrows scrunched up and his cheeks flushed from embarrassment. “I wouldn’t go that far.” He was talking to Shiro, but he didn’t look away from Keith. “Keith though, he definitely is special.” 

Keith’s eyes went a little wide before he bowed his head again, trying to hide his smile. 

Shiro nodded, accepting that answer. “Yes, he is.” Keith rolled his eyes, seemingly tired of all the praise. Lance suspected he wasn’t very used to it. He would fix that. 

There was a loud crash on the other side of the ballroom. Lance groaned as he heard the familiar yelling of one very angry, very small, Pidge. 

“She can’t tell me what to do!” Pidge was yelling. “Who died and made you queen of the universe, huh?”

Lance, Keith, and Shiro rushed towards the commotion. He heard Shiro let out a wince when another female voice, one with a proper sounding accent, was shouting back. “How dare you speak to me in his way!”

Lance realized who it was and all three boys came to a stop in front of them, shock apparent on their faces. Pigde was being held off the ground by Hunk who had two arms wrapped around her waist and he squeezed his eyes closed as she fought against his grip. Now that wasn’t super surprising. What was surprising is who was yelling back at her. 

“I am the Avatar!” Allura yelled. Coran had one arm on her shoulder and she was leaning forward with a threatening look on her face. Pidge did not seem fazed. 

“You’re no Avatar of mine!” Pidge said in a sarcastic tone that was all too familiar. Lance decided that it was time for them to step in and moved towards pidge. Before he could reach her, a giant glob of green goo was slamming into the side of her face, stunning her into silence and knocking her glasses to the side slightly. 

The whole room froze. All eyes moved from a goo covered Pidge to Allura, who had goo coating her hand and a smug look on her face. No one moved for a long moment. 

Hunk dropped Pidge and his face broke out into a wide smile. “FOOD FIGHT!” Pidge grabbed a handful of green goo and chucked it at Allura. 

Coran jumped in front of the shot, taking the full hit of goo. He threw his own plateful and it landed square in Hunk’s face. 

Shiro and Keith decided that now was the time to try and break up the fight and stepped closer. Suddenly a giant glob of goo landed on the back of Shiro’s head. His eyes went comically wide and then his face fell into a pout. All eyes turned back to Lance, who looked bashful, but was caught goo-handed. He shrugged. “Sorry! I was trying to hit Keith.”

Lance felt goo hit him in the side of the face. He deserved that. Keith chuckled slightly. “Like that?” He was holding up another ball of goo. The low pitch of his voice sent a shiver down Lance’s spine. Lance grinned accepting the challenge. 

All hell broke loose. They were ducking behind unsuspecting guests, throwing globs of goo, using plates and tables as shields. Even Shiro joined the fight. Together, Keith and Pidge had shoved one plate of goo directly into his face. It was ridiculous and it was wonderful. 

They finally calmed down, all of them breathing heavily. They stopped, completely covered in goo, just staring at eachother. The whole ballroom was quiet as they watched the group in horror. All at once, they all burst into laughter. Lance felt his side sting and his lungs burn from lack of air. Hunk was crying from the force of his giggles and Keith was doubled over leaning into Lance. 

Lance felt himself sober slightly as he watched Keith laugh. His eyes were crinkled at the edges and his body was warm and comforting against Lance as he shook. Keith’s laugh slowly faded out and he looked at Lance, a smile still lingering. Lance reached up and ran his thumb along Keith’s jaw, wiping away some of the goo. Keith surged forward quickly, their mouth’s slamming together painfully. Lance winced and Keith pulled back slightly, mumbling an apology against his lips. Lance didn’t care. He grabbed both sides of Keith’s head and pulled him in. His lips were softer than Lance would have thought and he sighed against him. Their lips moved against each other gently and then Keith nipped at Lance’s bottom lip, causing him to gasp and his mouth fell open, allowing Keith to push his tongue in. 

Lance must have died. That was the only explanation. He must have slipped on some goo and hit his head or when he met Keith one of the guards must have got him. He was dead, because this couldn’t be real. Keith couldn’t actually be kissing him and sighing and groaning and pushing up against him in just the right ways. He couldn’t be leaning back slightly and breathing out Lance’s name against his lips in way that felt like it only existed in his wet dreams. 

Wait. Keith was leaning back? Why? No. “No why’d you stop?” Lance heard himself say. Keith laughed slightly. Lance knew his eyes were a little cloudy, but who could blame him. Keith didn’t look too different, with his red lips and flushed cheeks. Yeah Lance wanted to swoon. He wanted to swoon so hard. 

Keith cleared his throat and leaned forward, swaying back into Lance’s space. “You know earlier, when you said you didn’t know about you being something special?” Lance nodded. “You are. You are special.” Lance smiled and leaned in to kiss him again. God this was the best. 

They broke apart when someone whistled. The looked over to find the group staring at them, all sporting smug smiles. “If you two lovebirds can get your tongues out of each other’s mouths, the Avatar here invited us to visit her castle for a while!” Pidge shouted at them. “You in Lance?”

Lance looked at Keith, a feeling of hope bubbling up. “Are you going?”

Keith pretended to think it over. “Well, I don’t know.” Lance hit him on the arm making him laugh. “If you’re there, I’m there.” He said more seriously. Lance smiled and rubbed their noses together. Lance barely registered Pidge’s gagging noises in the background. “Plus Shiro and I were already scheduled to stay with her for a while, so I kind of have to.” 

Lance rolled his eyes. “Hey, maybe then Shiro and Allura will finally realize how into each other they are!” He said a little louder than normal. He looked over just in time to see the two, who had been leaning awfully close to each other, jump apart, both of their faces turning red. 

Keith shook his head and smiled fondly at his older brother. “I doubt it. But we can only hope.”

The group laughed at their discomfort. Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s waist and used the other to high five Hunk. “This is going to be awesome.” Lance sighed and leaned into his new boyfriend. “So awesome.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at  
> fearfulandpissedoff.tumblr.com


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